We Woke Up at 5am to Buy Disneyland Handmade Candy Canes—Top Tips to Get This Coveted Treat!
While Disneyland offers a wide selection of holiday treats during the Christmas season, one of the most unique ones you won't want to miss is Disneyland's handmade candy canes, which have been a tradition at the parks for over 50 years. Disneyland is one of the few locations that still hand-pulls its candy canes, which is the traditional way to make this treat from scratch!
Because only a limited number of these candy canes are made per day, they can take some effort for guests to get their hands on, and acquiring one will require some planning ahead.
Keep reading for more details on these handmade Disneyland candy canes, what dates the handmade candy canes are sold, and how to get them! Plus, our prediction on the date that these candy canes will have absolutely no line or wait required. See our full Disneyland Christmas food guide for all holiday menu items and a free printable.
What Makes Disneyland Candy Canes Special?
Hand-pulling candy canes is largely a lost art, as most locations now produce them by machine. The candy makers make the Disneyland candy canes entirely by hand, from mixing the ingredients and hand-pulling the candy to rolling, twisting, and wrapping up the final product of the treat. The hard work and care that the candy makers put into the final product is nothing short of amazing! See a video below that details Disney's candy cane-making process.
These beautiful handmade candy canes are 18 inches long and weigh 5 oz, and guests who have tasted them praise their freshness, texture, and incredible flavor. For many, getting a Disneyland hand-pulled candy cane is a Christmas tradition that is well worth the effort due to the amazing quality of this treat.
Now that we've discussed what makes these candy canes so special, we'll take you through where to find them at the parks.
Disneyland Candy Cane Distribution Schedule
The candy canes are only offered on specific days at each park, and only two locations offer them. At Disneyland Park, you can find them at Candy Palace on Main Street U.S.A., and at Disney California Adventure, they are offered at Trolley Treats on Buena Vista Street.
You can see all of the 2023 Disneyland cane dates below:
Candy Palace at Disneyland Park
December 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, and 24
Trolley Treats at Disney California Adventure
December 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25
How to Get a Disneyland Candy Cane
If you have your heart set on one of these candy canes, you'll need to plan ahead and be ready to prioritize this. We will take you through our process of obtaining this coveted treat last year! Here is our experience from last year:
- First, after an early start waking up at 5 am, we arrived at the parking structure at 6:15 am and were the second car in line. You definitely need to be willing to rope drop to secure a Disneyland candy cane, especially early in the month!
- Next, we parked and rode the tram to the park, and we arrived at the entry gate at 7:10 am. That way, we were ready to enter the park right at 7:15 and got in line to Candy Palace at 7:20 am. While in line as we passed the candy store windows, we could see the candy makers working on the candy canes.
- Then, by 7:55 am, we gave our name to a Cast Member and received a text to return to Candy Palace just after 8:00 am. We had our Disneyland candy cane purchased and in our hands at 8:05! In 2022, the candy canes cost $19.99 each, so we can likely expect a similar price this year, and discounts do not apply. There is a limit of 1 candy cane per person.
By 8:20 am, the line was extremely long and wrapped multiple times around down to Jolly Holiday. Getting there early made a huge difference in successfully securing one of these candy canes, so it's especially important to be prepared for the first few days to avoid long lines. Towards the later part of the month, it may be easier to get them, and some guests have reported that they were able to in the middle of the day with less of a wait. You can see a video of the huge line when we went below:
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The downside of getting one of these Disneyland handmade candy canes is that you will be using one of your precious mornings at Disneyland to secure them. For those visiting the parks during the holidays on a vacation, you are likely better off utilizing our Disneyland holiday touring strategy to see the other highlights of the holidays. Also consider our Disneyland Morning Touring Strategy & Rope Drop Tips to maximize your morning.
Note though that we did get reports that on the later dates in the year last year there was no wait to get a candy cane and that the candy canes were available well into the morning. For those visiting anytime December 20-31 know that all Disneyland Magic Key annual passholders are blocked out. This means that for three of the candy cane distribution dates as listed above, there will be no locals in the know in the parks. These will be the easiest days to get these handmade candy canes and will likely be available a long ways into the middle of the day. On these dates you should be able to casually join the mobile waitlist system described below and have no trouble getting a candy cane.
You will also have the opportunity to explore photo ops with giant candy canes that make for a fun picture, which you can see below! Be sure to see the below tips for getting a candy cane in 2023.
2023 Disneyland Candy Canes Mobile Waitlist System
This year, Disneyland will be utilizing a mobile waitlist system due to the limited quantities of these special treats. Once the waitlist is activated, you can add your name and phone number at the location, then you'll receive a text back with a time to return for the chance to purchase a candy cane (subject to availability). Keep in mind that this mobile waitlist system will work differently than mobile ordering, where you would select a return window.
Getting to Disneyland as early as possible is still the best thing you can do to get a Disneyland candy cane, as being one of the first guests in the park will help improve your chances of securing one. Make sure to have your entire party together when you get in line.
Once you get your candy cane, be very careful with it, as it is delicate and can break easily! If your candy cane does break, you unfortunately can't have a replacement because they are in such limited supply.
Be sure to give these beloved Disneyland Candy Canes a try during your visit during this Christmas at Disneyland!
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